


Music to My Ears

by Dream_Weaver3721



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Bands, Angst, Bands, Dreaming, Eventual EreRi, Everyone is of age, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, I know nothing about how to write music, Im sorry Erwin, Levi Is A Dork, M/M, Mikasa Ackerman & Levi Are Related, More tags to be added, Most of them were orphans, No Name, Other, Protective!Hange, Rating will change, Rivalry, Swearing, They're all dorks, This can be a reincarnation Au if you want, do. I even have to tag that? Levi is very clearly a character, eventual erumike, idc I'm writing this for you, music references, musician au, nonbinary!hange, pastel!armin, supportive!mikasa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-07-27 14:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7621819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Weaver3721/pseuds/Dream_Weaver3721
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Survey Corps Record company only hires the best musicians in the industry. They have a wide variety of genres talents and personalities. Everything is pretty peaceful between the bands. That is, until a kid who calls himself Jäger-meister gets hired on. He does hip-hop, experimenting with alternative rap in his music. With that style becoming more and more popular, certain groups feel threatened and feel the need to put this noob in his place. Lucky for them, they're getting a chance to. The company has an annual concert that lasts two weeks coming up in a few months. Every group on the label gets their day to shine and play the year's new album. The audience votes on who's album that they liked best, and the winner gets a world tour and a quarter of a million dollar raise. Levi, lead singer of infamous rock band No Name, however, starts unknowingly to himself falling in love with this Jäger boy. He's never been in love with someone before. Will this be his first, or will his determination to win cloud his judgement and ruin his chances?<br/>-----------<br/>A/N: I will edit things randomly that might not seem like a big deal but it's important for ideas I have trust me. I will let you know as I upload.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Five O' Clock Somewhere

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea of Erwin being a Country singer and it stuck to me so I had to write it

It was five in the morning, January air brisk against Levi's skin as he walked from his apartment to the bus stop. He was hoping to get to work early in an attempt to head over to management and request a booth change. He was currently stuck in one that was barely large enough for Mike's drum set, Hanji's guitar and amp set up, and his own mic. He didn't ask for much, only a clean space in which his band could comfortabley record. He was sure that Marco and Connie would gladly swap with them. They were only two people with some sound boards and a microphone, so its not like they needed the space that they had. It wasnt as if the booth in which No Name resided in was that much smaller than M.C. Angel's was, either. Levi was just tired of Hanji backing up into Mike's snare and messing up the track.

His skinny jeans and leather jacket were barely enough to keep him warm as he waited for the bus to stop, but he managed. The rockstar wasn't entirely into the rock star life style, preferring to stay in a cheap apartment at the edge of the city rather than in some expensive mansion or penthouse with parties every week. He wasnt fond of the area either. Stohess was a good city, but it was crowded. It wasnt Levi's first choice of residence, but he needed to be close to the studio.

The bus came soon enough, Levi flashing his pass to the driver and taking a seat near the back. He loved how quiet the mornings were, with no one other than those few who worked graveyard or were going to early morning meetings riding. Levi thought to himself as he leaned his head back, closing his eyes and putting in his earbuds. Without even looking at his phone, he turned on some music. Despite being the lead singer in a rock band, he prefered classical music and alternative. His morning commute was peaceful. He was able to reach the studio with no problems, heading over to management's office silently. He turned off his music, earbuds coming out in order to talk. The receptionist took his name and told him to wait for a few minutes. Apparently the director was interveiwing someone and would be done within the next forty five.

Levi sat down, pulling out his phone and texting his fellow band members what was going on. After getting replies from the both of them, he opened up his new favorite app. It was Pokémon Go. He had played the games as a kid with his friends at the orphanage. Coincidentally, most of those friends grew up to be musicians for the same company. Three bands that signed on with Sina Records had all started out in Trost's foster system. There were nine others besides himself: Hanji, Mike, Erwin, Isabel, Farlan, Petra, Olou, Gunther, and Erd. They were all sad children just wishing that some day they would either get adopted, or transported into the amazing world of Pokemon.

He looked at his Golbat with pride. It had taken him forever to round up enough Zubats to evolve it, but it was worth it. The combat power on that thing was up near two thousand, his Vaporeon and Gyrados up there with it. Levi had a hard time choosing which team to be on. He liked both Mystic and Valor, but he saw the fighting and other bullshit on Facebook between them and decided to go with Instinct. He was too tired to keep up with the fueding, anyways. He saw that there was a Growlithe near by, and almost stood up to go chase after it. Then he remembered that he was waiting for his boss's interveiw to be over in order to discuss swapping booths with Marco and Connie. He woud have to get his Arcanine some other day.

He looked up as the office door opened, a tall, bright eyed, brown haired, stud walking out. Levi almost swore when he saw him instead of that bald, old, alchoholic named Pixis. Damn was this kid cute. His eyes were that of turquoise, hair slightly messy, almost intentionally so, dressed in dark wash jeans that clung to his hips and a pristine green buttondown. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off the kid's strong arms. Levi took note of an old fashioned key hanging from a piece of leather around his neck. He was smiling, too. God, that smile could make anyone melt. Levi could feel his mouth go dry. Life was testing him, as he felt the urge to lick his lips. Now all he needed to hear was that this kid was a classical musician and he would have his dream man standing in front of him.

"Ah, Levi," Pixis began when he stepped out and saw the man currently sitting down and trying to hide his obvious infatuation. "You'll be the first to welcome our new artist. Make sure it's warm."

"Hey, I'm Eren Jäger, new-style hip-hop and sole member of Jäger-meister." The kid said, much to Levi's disappointment and annoyance. That genre of music has been taking listeners away from his, and he didnt like it. Not to mention he thought that the style had no real structure to it. It was too easy to play. Given that this guy was the most attractive man that he's ever seen despite being his new biggest rival, Levi supressed his grimace, and shook the kid's hand.

"Levi, rock, lead singer of No Name and writer of 'Kneel Down You Pigs' amongst other songs." Eren got this look on his face, like he had just met the queen. "Tch. Dont shit yourself, kid, Im just your co-worker. Pixis, need to talk to you. That booth is getting too damn small for us. Is there some way that we could switch with Marco and Connie?"

Pixis just smiled at Levi's ability to get to the point. He motioned for Eren to wait while he spoke with Levi for a minute. To his surprise, his request was accepted. The old fart must have been feeling generous today. "Sure. In the mean time while I fill out the paper work for you, could you show the newbie around in my place?" Oh. That's why he accepted it. To get Levi to do him a favor. He shrugged and left, figuring that showing the brat around wouldnt be too bad. He may have been public enemy number one around here, Levi almost positive that not many people in the studio would like him either, but his ass was public enemy number three (number two being his smile). Damn. Dis booty was glorious, especially in those jeans. He felt blessed to be graced with such a sight. This brat was so sinful.

Levi finally snapped out of his trance, remembering that the marvolous piece of beefcake beside him may have looked delicious, but that meant nothing about him. For all that Levi knew, Eren could be a douchebag who treats the women that he claims to love like garbage and was in to some weird shit like knife play and eating the skin off of the kiwi instead of peeling it like a normal person. He might pour his milk before his cereal, or use orange juice instead. Levi shuddered at the thought. He then remembered his high cleaning standards that hardly anyone could meet. No, there was no way that he would fall for the brat. No way in hell.


	2. Little Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but whatever. Levi learns a little more about Eren and his own cousin.

Levi led the brat around the studio, showing him the booth that he would probably be working in. He wanted to laugh. He would be right next to the kid who's style was one of the furthest things from popular now-a-days. 8-bit used to have a huge following as part of the gaming world, but now that more games were going away from that kind of thing, Jean has been losing his audience. Even with the Undertale fandom at large, he's been doing worse. Kirschtein would not be happy about his new neighbor. Sasha and Erwin wouldn't mind as much, seeing as their genres would never go out of style.

As they reached the cafeteria, they found Erwin nursing what was probably his thrid cup of coffee. The blond looked up from the newspaper he was reading, flashing Levi and Eren his goofy southern smile. He must have forgotten to shave this morning. There was a little bit of stubble on his cheeks, making him look several years older. It didnt look bad, but he looked better clean-shaven. Erwin was the kind of guy who could make people who were interested in men cream their underwear in ten seconds flat. He could do it in five, if only he wolud keep those caterpillars he calls eyebrows under control. Otherwise, he was a total DILF.

"Erwin, this is Eren, Pixis's new hire. He does that new hip-hop crap that everyone's so fond of." He realized that might have sounded rude, but he was angered by life's cruelty at the moment, so he didn't exactly care. He shrugged when Erwin chastized him for it before continuing to introduce himself as the company's male country singer. Once again Eren got that look on his face. Levi wouldnt have been able to tell the difference between him and a three year old looking at Batman.

"So, Eren," Erwin said, "How long have you been making music for?"

"About three years for an actual audience. I've been making music since I was seven, but back then I was into modern contemporary. Around fourteen I got into the hip hop crowd and Ive been doing that ever since. It was only until I got out of college that people started listening to me on band camp. That's how Mr. Pixis found me. Well, that and my sister put in a good word with him." Eren's aswer shocked Levi. Why he stopped contemporary was anyone's guess. He could have made better money if he had stuck with it. "You guys probably know her. It's Mikasa."

As if on queue, Mikasa and her fiance, Annie, walked in and started pouring themselves some coffee. "Eren's family took me in after my parents were murdered." She said, quite flatly. Levi was astonished. He was still just getting to know his cousin that he had met just a year ago. They had agreed to only tell eachother the important things at first, but she hadn't told him that she was taken in by such a hot kid and his family. He was definitely going to talk to her later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short. I'm on tumblr http://dream-weaver-cosplay.tumblr.com


	3. Who Am I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another short one but you get to know all of the different bands!

A conference was called before people were released to work on their music. Eren was introduced to everyone and given his booth key. He was the lable's tenth active artist.

Erwin Smith was the first to be signed on. His honey-sweet voice was perfect for his country style. Add in his acoustic guitar and you had hit songs about sitting in the back of his old pick up truck on a warm summer night and looking up at the stars until you fell asleep. He had grown up on a farm somewhere after he had been adopted, picking up the accent while he was there.

The first fully formed band that was hired on was a screamo group that called themselves "The Ghosts." They were originally founded by Petra Ral (vocalist) and Olou Bozardo (vocalist) on their second wedding anniversary. Eventually, they rounded up their childhood friends: Erd Jinn (acoustic guitar), Gunther Schultz (keyboard), Isabel Magnolia (drummer), and Farlan Church (bass). They have been known to write songs about their dark childhoods in orphanages. They work with foster organizations to make sure that every child gets a chance at happiness.

A charasmatic rock group called No Name was signed on a few days after "The Ghosts" were. They write songs that often center around insults. Their most famous song "Kneel Down You Pigs" exhibits this quite well. They are never seen without bandages over their eyes to perserve their identities. They refuse to disclose their names or ages with anyone, especially their fans. Of course, Sina Records management and people who have been signed on and swon to secrecy know them as singer/song-writer Levi Ackerman (Alias: Corporal), guitar deity Hanji Zoë (Alias: Commander), and drummer Mike Zacharius (Alias: Captain).

Next came R'n'B, an up and coming R&B pair who had been making music together since in highschool. They are better known as Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover. One will never see the two apart. They have been best friends and are glad to work together with Reiner on vocals and keyboard and Bertl on drums. Their subject matter changes from song to song, never sticking to one topic for long. Reccurring themes happen to be espionage, secrecy, and partying.

A young man who went by Jean-K was originally signed as a rapper, but switched genres when he found out about his natural talent for 8-bit. Since then, Jean Kirschtein has been working with small game developers on sound tracks on the side to bring in more revenue. His music is mostly instrumetal but on occaision he will draw inspiration from different people to write lyrics. He commonly writes songs about a person with black hair and freckles believed to be his love interest.

A while later, a duo who made Electronic Dance Music were hired. Marco Bodt and Connie Springer came together a few months prior to form M.C. Angel. The to have been extremely successful, their music being played in clubs and bars globally. Naturally, their songs center around love, but they have written about death. Famous songs of theirs iclude "Club Track #77" and "Train Me."

Fiances Annie Leonhardt (vocals and piano) and Mikasa Ackerman (vocals and guitar) signed with Sina as an altenative band called Gray/Scale. They experiment with each album that they release, hopping genre to genre. The only thing that does not change is their black and white style. Music videos are always shot in silent movie, and they refuse to wear any other colors. They most commonly write songs about political issues and metal illnesses.

A trio band called Reverse Oreo (named so due to the three member's hair colors) who specializes in pop was hired soon after. Wives Krista (vocals) and Ymir Reiss (drums) teamed up with their friend Armin Arlert (guitar and keyboard) to form the popular pastel themed group. Their music focuses on sexism and gender rolls and the stupidity of both. They hope to empower young people with songs such as "Pastel Paradise."

Potato Girl Braus was signed on a few months later as a country singer. Sasha Braus (singer and guitar) grew up with a love of food and often uses that to fuel her music. Her songs focus on food and feminism with an occaisonal song about her boyfriend, Connie of M.C. Angel. She is known to ask her fans to send her their favorite foods and give them to her after concerts. She believes that this is the best way to know and connect with people. She works with several charities that help people beat their eating disorders.

The tenth person to be signed on: Eren Jäger (vocals, sampler, drum machine, bass), known to his fans as Jäger-meister, a new slyle hip-hop artist who started turning the world's heads three years ago. His music focuses on the lifestyles that he has seen around him in his home town of Shiganshina, his college, and his current city of Stohess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so if you guys don't really know what the different genres are, You can always look them up. Everyone's styles (based on how I hear them, but it's really up to you how they sound):  
> Erwin- Chris Young  
> The Ghosts- Stitched Up Heart  
> No Name has already got music so just like go on YouTube and listen to "Kneel Down You Pigs"  
> R'n'B- Usher  
> Jean-K- Anamanaguchi  
> M.C. Angel- Simon Curtis  
> Gray/Scale- Evanescence  
> Reverse Oreo- Lily Allen  
> "Potato Girl" Braus- Kacey Musgraves  
> Jäger-meister- Twenty One Pilots


	4. How to Start a War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eren gets introduced to everyone at the studio, No Name and M.C. Angel swap booths, Levi is nosey, and Isabel almost gives her big brother a heart attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I was able to get a better app for writing this (I'm writing on my phone with a Bluetooth keyboard so yikes) and I can actually tell how long these chapters are! Please be sure to point out any mistakes, it would help me out a lot.

"As I'm sure you are all aware of," Pixis began once he had finished the initiation ceremoy for Eren, "We have six months before the summer festival starts." Several people groaned, expecting what was to come. "I am sure that you have all been working hard since last festival while youve been on tours and doing interveiws, but I need you all to start working on this year's albums if you haven't already. If you do not remember from last year or the years before, you are all given a requirement to meet in order to be allowed to perform." The room went quiet in anticipation, hoping for an easy task compared to previous ones. There was a year in which every song had to continue from the last, as if in a story.

"This year, I decided to get input from fans. Your tasks for this year are," Tasks... Meaning two or more? Pixis unfolded a piece of paper that he took out from his pants pocket. "To create a twelve track album that has at least one love song."

Well, shit. That could be very easy, or a living hell. Levi definitely was not used to writing love songs, but he could prepare twelve new tracks in six months. He looked over to Hanji and Mike, nodding in a silent "let's do this." He then looked over at the little shit, still standing next to Pixis where he had recieved his booth key. He had gone pale, eyes blown wide with fear. He must have been thinking about how he was ever going to manage to write his first album in such short of a time frame. Levi wanted to laugh. Karma is a bitch. It generally didn't work that fast, but its not like he was complaining. The kid had made him suffer, teasing him with his absolutely stunning exterior, then ruining it by his life choices, and now Levi was going to watch him suffer through the next six months. He didn't care if he was being childish, he thought that it was unfair for someone to have such an amazing outward appearance while being the worst possible human. Sure, style was insignificant, but Levi wouldn't let it go. 

He was glad to have gotten an early start, three songs done already. All they needed to do was write the remaining nine and then practice all of them to perfection. They would worry about recording them later. Right now, he was worried about the geezer letting them free and tackling the writing. He really was glad that he didn't have to do this alone, Hanji and Mike always helping him and giving him their takes on the melody.

Pixis had notified everyone of the booth change. Connie was a bit unhappy about it, but Marco, with his magical ways, calmed him down without a problem. The last thing that Pixis did was introduce Eren to his new co-workers. It surprised Levi how fast this brat could make friends... and enemies. Mikasa, Armin, Annie, Ymir, and Krista were childhood friends, so obviously that was easy, but from the second he started talking to them, it seemed as if he befriended almost everyone. Erwin, Sasha, Connie, Marco, Petra, Isabel, Erd, and Bertholdt fell into his good looks and all around friendliness, but then again, they didnt experience as much of a loss in audience as the others did.

Levi had to surpress a laugh as Jean tore into the brat, letting everyone know exactly what he thought of Eren. "Just look at him. I bet those are the only decent looking clothes he has. Probably mostly wears ripped skinny jeans and stained hoodies with chains and a beanie."

To this, Eren retorted, "Well at least I don't look like a horse." Several people almost lost it, close to laughing their asses off. It was true, Kirschtein had horse-like face, but no one had the heart to tell him before now. There had been jokes in the break room such as: "I guess that makes Marco a cowboy," but everyone made sure that neither of them were within ear shot. Levi checked the time, deciding to get the attention of his band mates and start moving equipment.

Once the three of them were walking through the halls, Hanji decided to make idle chatter. Of all topics that they chose to talk about, they chose Eren. "I don't like the sound of this new kid. How about you guys?" Mike gave a grunt in agreement.

Levi didn't really know why it bothered him to say so, but he agreed with his friends. "Gave up modern contemporary for the crap he does now. Who the hell does that?" There was no answer given, as it was not really meant as a question. After that, Levi drowned out the conversation. For some reason he was having an emotion. He didn't like it. It was similar to the guilt and regret that one gets when they are about to chow down on an order of hot wings right after they ate gas station burritos and sushi. Instead of asking about it or saying something like a healthy person would do, he pushed it down until he could no longer feel it: bottling it up until he could make a passive aggressive tumblr post on his break.

Mike opened the door to the booth, inhaling deelpy before he set to work dismantling his drum set. Hanji started trying to lug their amp out of the room and down the hall, failing to do so. They were a strong human being, but the amp was stronger. Thankfully, Erwin came along a few minutes later while Reiner and Bertholdt helped Marco and Connie with their equipment. It was quite nice of the three of them to offer their assistance when they, too, had songs to finish. 

Levi looked around at their now-in-pieces set-up, remembering all of the songs they had written late at night, drunk on rum and coffee. He smiled. He was rather fond of all of the times he had spent tired and frustrated on the floor with his laptop, Hanji sprawled on his legs, strumming their ukelele softly, helping him with melodies. Mike was, of course, sitting next to the two of them, taping out a beat on the floor with his drumsticks to give Levi ideas to play around with. From there, songs were born, and despite all of the sleepless nights, falling asleep on the ground, and waking up with a foot (Hanji's namely) in his face, he wouldn't have given it up for the world. 

The decision had been a reluctant one, but they all knew that they couldn't continue to improve in that cramped space. This was for the better, and, hey, maybe Mike would be able to put his snare where he preferred it without worrying about a certain four-eyed maniac screwing things up. They had been fine in their booth until recently. Then Hanji threw themself even further, hitting a state in which their guitar would transcend into a godly weapon, assaulting the ears of listeners and gaining them a spike in their following. Unfortunately this would cause them to forget their surroundings until it was too late, bumping against a drum and inevitably leading to another run of the song.

With the help of their three coworkers, the two bands had successfully swapped booths without injury or damage. Levi went to go bid the old one fare-well, but stopped when he saw Mikasa and Armin escorting Eren to his. He overheard part of their conversation from behind a wall. It's not like he wanted to, but the sound of his name caught his attention. "So Levi really is Corporal, huh?" Eren asked. "He seems even more brash than his stage personality." For some reason, that made Levi's heart sink. He could be harsh sometimes, and he often didn't have a filter, but hearing that from the brat made him ache. 

"Awe, not really, Eren. He's actually really nice once you get to know him. But, just a warning, he's a neat-freak and don't even dare trying to touch his tea. He gets it imported by the pound and it's really expensive." Armin said. Levi liked the blond coconut for that very reason. He always saw the best in others, no matter how bad of a person they seemed. He was smart, too. Armin was currently working on a bachelor's degree in astrophysics. He always had his nose in a book; it was a wonder he had time to work on music. Maybe he had gotten a time-turner from one of his professors like Hermione had in Harry Potter. 

"He's also shy and awkward. He doesn't really seem to have emotions, but they're there when you look hard enough." Mikasa added. His cousin was a mystery. He couldn't tell if he liked her or not and what she thought of him. She seemed like a good enough egg, and she was family. "If he tells you to clean something up, just do it. If he offers you some tea, feel honored and accept it. If you call him short, run like hell and don't come back. Basically, don't be a dumbass and you'll be fine." Eren nodded in understanding. Levi almost wanted to laugh. As if he'd offer to share his tea with anyone. It was expensive, and his.

"Alright, guys, I got it. Don't piss him off. anyone else that I would be careful about?" Eren seemed to be going out of his way to make sure that he had allies. It was fairly suspicious to Levi, who had found himself sneaking around behind them to catch the whole conversation. He hadn't even realized it.

"Don't try to pick fights with anyone, really. Rivalry is fine, but fighting and causing trouble is not. Especially if you get either Jean or Marco involved. The two of them are lovers and they will end you if they find out you hurt the other one." Mikasa started again. "You shouldn't have too much trouble with Reiner or Bertholdt, nor with Connie, Erwin, or most of the people in The Ghosts. Oluo can be a dick sometimes, Mike has this thing about smelling people to judge their character, Hanji is very protective of Levi, and Sasha will try to steal your food. As long as you keep in good standing with Pixis and don't leave too big of a mess for Mr. Hannes, you should be good."

Levi left as the three got to Eren's door, blue and white wings adorning it right at head level, his stage name painted on it with the standard forest green. He placed his hand on the frame of the old booth as he passed, as if to tell it that it would be missed. He continued to the new door, seeing Mike and Hanji mostly set up, making final adjustments here and there until it was perfect. Levi quickly set up his microphone. Today was going to be long and arduous, unsure of how many songs that they would finish writing. 

The day had gone quite peacefully, rough works for three more songs completed. He left the studio feeling accomplished, planning to clean up lyrics and sheet music when he got home. Normally, it would have taken a hell of a lot longer to get songs written, but they were about a quarter of the way done composing. As he waited for the bus, Isabel and Farlan walked up behind him, the red-head tackling him into a hug. He stumbled forward, not expecting his friend to do that.

"Shit, Isabel," Levi said, regaining his lost balance, trapping her in a choke-hold, and playfully rubbing at the top of her head with his knuckles, "damn near give your big bro a heart attack, why don't you?" To this, the three just laughed. 

There had been a time, Levi was about fifteen, when it had just been a fourteen year old Farlan, a twelve year old Isabel, and himself in the orphanage. Everyone else had either been adopted or decided to go off to a better area in hopes of finding a family sooner. They missed their friends, sure, and would have loved to sleep in a bed knowing that someone loved them and would try their best to keep them healthy, but no one wanted the kid who looked like he would murder everyone he came across. No one wanted the boy with the blond mop and goofy smile who was accident prone and allergic to all kinds of crap. No one wanted the little girl who's pigtails and bright eyes never wavered, especially when she was reckless (which was often). 

It was true, the three of them had spent just about their entire lives in that facility. Levi was around four when his mother passed away, his uncle no where to be found. Farlan came not long after, found on the streets outside a burned down home in the middle of the woods. Isabel, about a year after that, unwanted by her family because she couldn't be tamed. The three of them had been like family for their entire lives, never adopted or anything. Just kept adding friends to their email contacts. Levi took them in as soon as he got an apartment with Hanji and Mike and started making money off of his music. They were still extremely close. 

Farlan looked over at his short, older brother figure, who was currently mock-wrestling with their sister figure, and sighed. The two of them would never change, even though Levi had just turned twenty-eight. He hoped that even at seventy, the two of them would tease each other for stupid shit, be playful, and most importantly, be happy.

Isabel eventually broke free. Levi asked the two of them if they wanted to come over for dinner, but they had to get home to feed Isabel's birds and Farlan's cat, not to mention make sure that the little tabby hadn't decided to nibble at some finches or cockatiels. Levi nodded, bidding them adieu as the bus arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Be sure to comment and kudo, don't be shy. I wanna hear how I'm doing. I also created a play list on Spotify if y'all want to listen to it while reading. It's called "Music To My Ears" by balthierop and it's full of artists that I think everyone would sound like. Just if you're interested and you hear them similarly in your head.


	5. It Is What It Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which reader learns what happened before Levi was sent do the orphanage, the grump has a dream, and Sasha is Sasha. Possible trigger warnings so just be careful about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case y'all haven't noticed yet I name the chapters after songs so that's a thing. Please leave comments if you want to, and let me know what you think and where I can improve. Hope you enjoy.

It was roughly nine o' clock when Levi unlocked the door to his two bedroom apartment. Taking off his shoes as he stepped through the threshold, he immediately set a pot of water to boil while he changed into sweat pants and a loose shirt, entirely intending on staying home for the night. Tea and dinner were made soon enough, sitting down to eat on his sofa. Netflix got turned on, playing some magical girl anime. About half way through the episode, a text came.

(From Erbrows 9:53pm): Hey, Levi, I have reservations for dinner at Rose's for 7 on Friday. You interested? I'll pay.

Rose's? That restaurant was incredibly impossible to make reservations at, not to mention it was expensive as fuck. Levi had been dying to try their food since it opened. The steak was supposed to be heavenly, and if he could go for free thanks to his friend, who was he to pass up? 

(To Erbrows 9:57pm): Hell yeah! No press there right?  
(From Erbrows 9:58pm): Would I do that to you? We have a private booth. We'll leave from the studio at five.  
(To Erbrows 9:58pm): Chill.

Levi couldn't believe this. Free food, no attention save the wait staff, and he wouldn't have to bus. He would owe Erwin one later. Finishing his food, tea and episode of anime, he set to cleaning. He had skipped out on his routine for the past few days and could feel the dust and filth settling. It made him feel disgusting. 

As he cleaned, he thought about how this whole habit had started. He and his mother may have lived in a tiny, run down, one room house in down town Trost, but they made sure to keep that house spotless. They had to for his mom's business. Levi didn't know exactly what she did to make money until much later, as he was four and always away when she worked, but when he did find out, he respected his mother even more.

Kuchel Ackerman knew that Trost was not a good place to raise a family like she wanted to, but when yours disowns you and throws you on the side of the road at eighteen years old, what can you do? No one would take her, not without a place of residence and a means of transportation, but she could stand on a back alley corner in short shorts and a crop top with a sign selling five dollar blow jobs. She had amassed enough money in a year to buy herself a small house, food for the month, and a motor scooter. She thought that she would be able to get an actual job, but employers had found out our had been her clients before, and no one wants to hire a prostitute. Not even in the town full of gangs, clubs, and brothels. 

She had been stupid one day, forgot entirely about protection while with a man who had been regularly paying her to perform. Only, she was under the impression that he loved her. Three weeks later, she learned that she was pregnant with some dude's baby. It was on that day that she decided to forget about I got to a better town and give this baby the best life that she could. After nine months and half of a banking account later in preparing a nursery area, she gave birth to a kid with a natural resting bitch face. Levi grew up happy, never knowing what his mother did, never knowing a father, and developed an obsession with keeping everything spotless, even at four years old.

Then, she died of an untreated STD. Levi was sent off to the orphanage by his uncle. Kenny Ackerman was on his parent's side when Kuchel was kicked out, and he wasn't entirely fond of Levi either. He didn't care enough about an innocent four-year old to even escort him though the front door of the house he would stay in for fourteen years. All he did was send a letter explaining everything to him from his mother for his twelfth birthday.

Suddenly, he found himself sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, tears rolling down his face. He really missed his mom. He loathed his uncle for being such a heartless bastard. He didn't know why he was still getting upset over all of this after almost twenty-four god damn years. Drying his eyes, he continued cleaning until he was finally finished. Now tired and making his way to bed, he slept fairly peacefully.

\--------------

Levi flew through the air, above the roofs of houses in the underground city he called home. It was far from perfect, but it was enough for now. He did long to see what was up those stairs, into the upper world; he wanted to see the stars, dreamt of flying the way he was now without having to worry about swinging too high. He made a hard left with his stolen gear. In the distance, he could see familiar turquoise green, but he did not know why it was familiar. Nor did he care; he was soaring gracefully, executing beautiful flips and turns as if it was second nature.

Everything crumbled around him, transforming into a lush forest full of big ass trees. He attached a hook, stopping to take in the sight despite the dangers that could lie around every bend. He was stunned, always would be no matter how many times he saw it. Looking up, he saw a flash of emerald fabric and steel. Blue and white wings fell heavy on the backs of soldiers, yet still carried them into battle. The feeling of his two blades sinking in to the napes of giant beings was invigorating. He felt liberated, free. Turquoise was seen closer, now, yet still out of his grasp. Levi was excited, could hardly wait to touch it. 

Crumbling again, he felt his feet pad across stone floors. One long hallway, that god forsaken color just beyond his fingertips as he walked. He was so close. He had waited for so long, but even still, it was three paces ahead. He could hear the determined, alluring voice taunt him.

'Heichou.'

'Corporal Levi.'

'Sir.'

He tried to call out, but he didn't really know who he was calling out to. His voice failed him, anyways. This was torturous. He was growing impatient to have teal-green against him. But alas, that fell apart too. He was slipping into a new setting; training grounds, by the looks of it. That color again, right there in front of him, teasing him. Levi tried to touch it, but his body wouldn't move. Damn it. He had come this far, always reaching, trying to capture what he so desperately wanted, and now he couldn't. He considered giving up and letting it win, but his surroundings changed one last time.

The sound of waves crashing, seagulls flying above, his hand intertwined with another's, leaning his head against the person beside him: it was perfect. A surge of joy and relief washed over him as he watched the sun set with the turquoise beside him. This was so familiar, but he could have sworn that he had never experienced this before. The face he had been trying to catch was hidden behind a hood of emerald. He tried to get a better look at it, but just as the hood was being torn away-

\-----

Levi woke up. This wasn't the first time he had such a dream like he did, but they were usually soaked with blood. He swore under his breath, wanting to know who the fuck was plaguing his dreams with that vibrant hue. He cleared his mind of all of that, instead, focusing his attention to his alarm clock. 

Six in the morning was a brutal hour for most people, Levi included, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Dragging his ass to the kitchen, he turned on the coffee pot so he could have a cup or five when he got out of the shower. Scrubbing his pale skin raw was the perfect way to wake up (said no one ever). He groaned as lukewarm water hit his skin, not being warm enough to feel good, but not cold enough to register as such.

For a dude who was thorough, it didn't take long to shower. Fifteen at the most, it that. Drying off and donning his signature all black attire, today's being jeans and a turtle neck. He could bitch about the weather all he wanted, but he had to admit that he preferred cold over hot. At least there wasn't a limit to how many layers one could put on, but people can't fucking rip off their skin if they get too hot.

Levi downed the entire pot of coffee as he made and ate breakfast. He still had time before he had to leave for the bus, so he opened tumblr. He wanted to delete his blog and fucking get away from all of the bullshit, but one does not simply leave tumblr. He scrolled through his dash, reblogging a few things here and there. He had thought about making a blog for his band, but that wouldn't end well. He was worried about his, Hanji's and Mike's identities getting out somehow, so he just stuck with a fandom blog.

Soon enough, he was on his way to way bus stop. His favorite part about the walk was going through a forested area, especially after it snowed. Snow crunched under his boots, cold air burning through his lungs, low hanging branches brushing the top of is head. He always felt relaxed when he passed through the grove of trees. He may as well start the day relaxed before it got too hectic. 

The bus was surprisingly crowded today, much to every rider's annoyance. Levi took his usual place near the back. In went his earbuds to drown out any noise until he reached the stop outside the studio. He looked out the window, not paying attention to anything really, until someone sat in the seat next to him. He didn't particularly care, but he just hoped that this person was getting off before he was. It was only when he felt a hand on his shoulder that he looked up and realized that this person was trying to talk to him. Showing the ultimate sign of respect, Levi removed an earbud and turned to the person. What the hell was Sasha doing on a city bus?

"You probably couldn't hear me before. You look a bit pale, have some food." She said. He felt okay, so he didn't entirely understand what she was talking about. 

Instead he just replied with a "No, that's just my face."

She held out a granola bar, which he denied. He didn't need it. She should have known that he was just pale; she fucking worked around the corner from him for christ's sake. She was probably just trying to pass off as an average person be making small talk with him, something he didn't have to worry about. One of the perks of using a stage name and hiding your identity. He also didn't have to worry too much about being found out by voice, as he always used a slight voice modulator during interviews and such. The three of them did to the sake of living normal, mundane lives when they were off the clock. Hanji always said that it made them feel like they were like a secret agent, living two lives at once. Mike, well… Mike just hummed in agreement. 

"Well, jeez, no need to be like that. I was just concerned about you." Damn her. If she was found out, he could be too. 

"You don't even fucking know me," he paused to meet her confused look with a glare, "so why would you be concerned?" He was trying to get her to play along and understand that he didn't want attention drawn to either of them, but by the time she did, the bus had pulled up to the Survey Corps Records building. He pushed past her to get off, effectively losing her and heading to the back entrance of the place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love that Erwin's contact name in Levi's phone is "Erbrows" because I do. I've been sitting on some ideas and I'm not sure exactly how to progress this but yeah. I really want Eren and Levi to get together this is killing me. Just expect more humor to come its going to be good.


	6. Car Radio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Erwin in this chapter, Levi is oblivious and relatable, flashback, a dream, and a cliff hanger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry I haven't updated in a while, school has me busy and I've had no free time to write, but I got a new chapter for y'all. I have some free time soon coming up though, even though most of it will be spent working on cosplays and at a convention. I'll try.  
> I changed a few things in the previous chapters, which will follow. I realized that I forgot some things that I wanted to do with this story and I completely forgot during the process of writing it so sorry about that.  
> Instead of "Sina Records," the name is now "Survey Corps Record Company"  
> Rather than the restaurant being "Garrison" it is now "Rose's"   
> Levi, Hanji, and Mike now have stage-names which are respectively "Corporal, Commander, and Captain."   
> Also a belated congratulations to Hanji on her position.

Levi certainly was doing a lot of thinking recently, this time about how this whole career started. 

Hanji and Mike had been dropped off when they were sixteen. The orphanage normally wouldn't have taken in anyone over thirteen, but these were special cases. Hanji's father was a world-renowned scientist who went crazy and murdered his wife before committing suicide while Hanji was away at a science fair. When they came back, they transferred all of their parent's money to their personal account and paid the people who ran the home to take her in. Living in some stranger's care was significantly easier than living on their own. Mike offered to help out in every possible way that he could after he ran away from his family's mansion. The mansion that was stolen by his criminal parents who ran one of the mafias in town. He kept quiet, worked in exchange for being kept hidden. 

The three of them were tasked with cleaning the kitchens when they found their common interest for rock music, both listening and creating. They felt more like kids again. Mike banged out on a set of overturned pots, Hanji plucked rubber bands in place of a guitar, and Levi started humming. The humming turned into singing and soon, they were asking for access to the music room during free time. They started with a small audience when they had learned what they could from books and practice, just Isabel, Farlan, and a few of the new kids. Then they started to play on holidays and birthdays for fun. After uploading their first song to YouTube, they became an overnight sensation. Between the time they posted it to the time they woke up the next morning, they had reached nine million views. 

That's when they got a call from a guy named Dot Pixis. The dude claimed to be a producer for a new record company. The name was familiar, probably being the guy that signed Petra and Olou on a few days prior. Levi just laughed at the coincidence. He laughed even harder when he learned that Erwin was working with him too. Six damn people who grew up in the same orphanage. Small world.

"Almost eleven years," Hanji stated, snapping Levi out of his thoughts. "I know. It's crazy we've gone this long without breaking up or even fighting once." It was crazy how that damn guitarist could read his mind like that. It was like he was a picture book to them.

"Everyone has. No one has decided to quit or split up after all this time. Hell, Erwin hit twelve in November, and he's still kicking out songs like they're pancakes." He would never have imagined how this could happen when he was eighteen, still couldn't.

"Let's just hope that the noob doesn't mess all of that peace up." Hanji was speaking for everyone when they said that. Everyone was on edge now that Eren was there. No body knew how to react. Many were pissed by his music and almost instant popularity alone, others were pissed about the people who were pissed. Everything was hanging on by past peace and getting through six months of grueling song writing. 

As soon as Mike arrived, they set to work, day going by peacefully and without incident. They had hit a productive streak, managing to sketch out another song as well as finish one they had already started. The three of them hoped to keep up the productivity for as long as was possible. Of course, they would have never predicted what would happen the next day.

\------------------

Erwin was waiting for Levi Friday afternoon. He had gotten as much work done as he could handle, deciding to head out early. He screwed around on his phone, sitting against the hood of his Ford pick-up in his usual jeans and Captain America tee. Hanji always joked that he looked like the comic book hero, bought him shirts with the logo or character on them for holidays and his birthday. He had two custom tailored suits for both him and his friend hanging from a safety handle in the cab of the truck, entirely intending on changing into them before they arrived at the black tie restaurant. 

As the raven haired man strolled towards the country singer's car, he noted that Erwin had shaved for the occasion. Levi only knew that the man would only look better as the night went on. Mr. Smith could go from "I'll have her home by eight" to "even your wife calls me daddy" in a few seconds. His thoughtful mood made Levi look closer, appreciating Erwin's features a bit more. 

Blond hair was cut and parted similarly to Levi's but the major difference was that Erwin swept it to the sides while the raven haired allowed his hair to fall loosely over his forehead. Eyebrows a bit too prominent (Levi often felt the need to take a weed whacker to them) but still, he managed to look attractive to most people. Icy blue eyes shone with confidence, kindness, and determination. Jaw and cheekbones were chiseled, sharp enough to cut on contact. Erwin's lips always appeared to be pulled into a light smile, as if he were constantly reminiscing.

He was greeted with a lopsided grin when Erwin looked up before the taller of the two retrieved their suits. "Hey Levi. I contacted your designer and had this made. Come on, we should get changed before we go." Levi hummed an agreement, almost positive that they wouldn't be allowed to set foot on the property given their current attire. 

\-----------------

When Erwin stepped out of the changing room after Levi, the shorter man took in the sight. It was a known fact that suits make men who usually dress casually ten times more attractive, and the blond was no exception to that rule. Levi let out a whistle. His friend certainly was stunning, and if he were his type he would consider asking him on a date. 

"Well damn, Eyebrows, for once you don't look like a dork." Levi couldn't help but try to compliment him, even if it didn't sound right. He was never good at being nice to people, generally closing himself off. He could even be called socially awkward and a little raging ball of anxiety. 

The blond winked at him, escorting him out with a "you don't look so bad yourself." The two were silent during the car ride to the restaurant, wishing to save conversation for dinner itself. Valet took the car, they were seated promptly, and the two took to flipping through the menu. Levi had already known what he wanted before he was invited to dinner, but he didn't know what else to do. 

As the waiter came back, Levi ordered filet mignon, potatoes, cheesecake for dessert, and a pot of oolong . Erwin, however decided to get one of the lobster dishes and a salad, plus a bottle of Merlot for the both of them. 

Absently, they talked about work and other shit to pass the time as they waited, the shorter of the two admiring their surroundings. The architecture of Rose's was reminiscent of old German houses. In the wood, roses were carved or inlaid all over. The restaurant certainly was cozy, but then he saw a flash of turquoise. The same kind in his dreams.

"No fucking way. Jäger's here." True to Levi's words, Eren had just walked though the door, getting closer to the two, but turning into the kitchens before seeing either of them. 

"I wonder why he's here. Maybe he's looking for a friend who just happens to work here." Erwin always tried to find logical explanations, even if it was just a coincidence. 

Levi rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Erwin. I don't like the vibes he gives off, so can we please just change the subject?" And change the subject they did. The blond knew not to argue, even if Eren had done nothing to earn Levi's attitude towards the thought of him. That is, they tried to until they were approached by a different waiter with a familiar smile.

"Well, hey, you guys, what are you doing here?" Eren said, setting down their food. "I worked here part-time when it opened, but now that I'm on the label, I decided to quit. Tonight's my last night."

That explained why he was there, but what happened to the other waiter? Levi decided that the kid wouldn't go away and the other waiter was on his break or something, so he decide to answer. "Erwin invited me to dinner."

The brunet's eyes went wide with what could have been interpreted as pain. He hid it as quickly as he could with a smile. "Wow. I didn’t know you were dating. Congratulations!" The raven haired man was confused. Dating? He looked over at Erwin, not registering how the blond's cheeks were dusted with pink. 

"We aren't dating, right Erwin? This isn't a date, kid." Levi tried to eat his bacon wrapped steak, but to no avail. As soon as he started to bring a piece to his mouth, Erwin confirmed what the brat was saying. The dejection on Eren's face made his heart ache do no apparent reason. 

"Actually, Levi, I had planned this as a date." For fuck's sake this was awkward. Everyone knew that Erwin was interested in three people: Levi, Mike, and Armin. Given his way, the four of them would be living in his penthouse, snuggling up on the couch every night and singing along to Disney movies until they fell asleep. However, neither Levi or Armin were interested, and Mike would only grunt a response. Levi loved Erwin, but not in the way the latter would like. 

"Hate to be blunt, but I only came for the food. Erwin knows that I never have and probably never will have romantic attraction towards anyone in my entire life." These things kept stinging his tongue as they escaped his lips. He didn't know or really care why for that matter, but he knew that it hurt. Still, he couldn’t bother to pay attention to it. Levi usually just said what was on his mind, didn’t care if his words came out a way he hadn't meant them. 

Erwin nodded, a twinge of pain flowing through him, but he knew it was true. Levi had never been in love, promised himself he wouldn’t after what happened with his mom and the asshole who knocked her up. He didn’t need the heartbreak that came with being in love. Eren's eyes were downcast, nodding to signal that he understood. 

"Well, shit, you two look like kicked puppies. Erwin has an excuse, the love-sick bastard, so what's yours brat? Don’t tell me that you've fallen in love with someone you just met." Eren shook his head, couldn’t find the words to say. Levi was his inspiration, that was all, right? 

"Of course not. Well, I'll be going now. I've got people to serve." The brat left then, allowing Erwin and Levi to talk alone. Their food came shortly after. The rest of their night was rather pleasant: just two old friends talking and eating at an expensive restaurant. Afterwards, the blond drove Levi back to his apartment before heading home.

Levi had taken to cleaning whatever dust had settled since he last scrubbed his house. He knew that there wouldn't be much, but he felt the need anyways. He went to sleep soon after he finished, content and finally tired. He would come to regret that decision in the morning, but for now, he allowed himself to dream peacefully.

\--------------------------------

Turquoise surrounded him. The hue was warm, similar to the Caribbean sea. He felt a body hugging him from behind, singing sweetly in a language that was both foreign and familiar. Though he did not know it, he could still understand everything the person was saying. He was at peace. The lullaby kept him in a feeling of bliss, could have fallen asleep if he didn’t want to continue listening to that voice. It was as smooth as caramel, soft as cotton, warm as hot chocolate. He would willingly die in this setting. The person hugging him could easily slit his throat and he would be okay with it. Nothing could have been more comforting than this, not that Levi could think of. 

"Levi," the person behind him started, "you're perfect. Never think that you aren't. I love you." That voice was better than music. Levi could have sworn that he had heard it before though, not just in his dreams. It was perfection, yet he couldn’t figure out where he had heard such a voice before. He didn’t feel the need to turn around and look at the person, though. Merely formed a response.

"I love you too, E-"

\----------------------------

Levi was woke up by his phone ringing shrill in the night. Checking the time before hand, intending to give the person a stern talking to for waking him up at three fifty-one in the morning. His phone lit up with the grinning face of a particular guitarist in his band. Hanji was probably calling to tell him about something they figured out during a late night self discovery session. Picking up the object currently blasting "They're Coming To Take Me Away," he swiped answer.

"The fuck you want at four in the fucking morning, shitty glasses?"

He was met with a panicked Hanji, odd, seeing as they usually woke up their room-mate, Moblit, to help her through anxiety. "Levi, You need to get to the hospital, right now."

Still tired, he wasn't about to go anywhere without a very good reason. He would very much have liked to go back to the warmth of Caribbean green. "And why the fuck would I do that?" A few seconds of muffled talking passed, but it sounded like the glasses wearing freak was discussing something briefly with someone and had put their phone away from their mouth in order to be polite.

"Erwin got into a car accident. He's hurt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliff hanger, humans, but I promise that I'll upload another chapter soon so that you don't have to wait too long. Is it too early for a bit of angst in the story?


	7. Guns For Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi learns what happens to Erwin, talks to someone whom he had not seen in years, and generally feels awful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks to those of you who are trying to keep with me through all of this. Sorry it's been so long since an update, but I have been super busy with schooling and life in general. I am going to try to start writing more often while I am on my bus commute to the campus, but it might be that I only update once every month or two. We'll see.

As he walked, Levi thanked whatever deities people believed in that he was close enough to the hospital to get there in a few minutes without a car. As soon as he had hung up the phone, he got dressed, hardly caring that his clothing choice made him look like a homeless person in the late nineties. Acid-wash jeans were full of holes, as was his too big sweater. He was smart enough to wear a trench coat, though it didn’t do much good in the snow.

He could only imagine what had happened to his friend to land him in the hospital, but from the way Hanji was acting, it wasn't good. He tried to focus on his destination or the way the sub-freezing air stung when he breathed or blinked. However, his thoughts only went back to Erwin. The blond was always a cautious driver, so it had to be another driver's fault. 

When he entered through the doors to the quiet hospital, he saw Hanji sitting quietly. Sitting down beside them, he waited for them to say something. They appeared to be lost in thought, the shock of Erwin being hurt stunning them into silence. Levi looked at a television screen on one of the walls, finding a name and status he didn’t want to see. He had hoped that this was a joke. 

'Smith, Erwin; in operation.'

Hanji decided to speak then, seeing the hidden fear in Levi's stoic face. "Apparently, he wasn't paying attention and a driver hit him at an intersection and sent his truck tumbling. The impact of his head on the steering wheel knocked him unconscious. Then the weight and force of the wreck… His right arm was crushed beyond recognition. There wasn't a way to reconstruct it, so it had to be amputated. They had to call one of us to authorize the procedure and since I'm first on the list, it fell to me. I called you as soon as he went in for surgery."

Levi couldn't believe any of this. Erwin couldn’t have had to lose his arm, couldn’t have gotten into an accident. He just sat in silence next to his friend, watching the screen for a status change. He feared the status would next be "failed operation," hoping that it would be "post-op ." It was then that he remembered the bottle of wine at dinner. 

"This is my fault." Levi hated to be caught up in a cliché, but when one's best friend is in the hospital and thinks one could have helped prevent it, what else does one think? 

Hanji perked up, confusion evident on their face. "What do you mean, your fault?"

He sat in silent disbelief at his own stupidity for a moment before answering. "When we were at dinner, he ordered a bottle of wine. You know how he gets when he has wine, he goes out to the bar and has some vodka. I shouldn’t have let him drive. I'm the one to blame." 

"Levi, stop. This isn't your doing. It's his fault for being stupid, okay? So just shut up and get some sense." Hanji refused to take this crap, especially from someone they looked up to for remaining calm in these situations. He was stoic and level-headed in times of crisis; it wasn't like him to be so emotional. "He'll be getting out soon enough and when he wakes up we can scold him for being reckless." Levi knew that they were right somewhere in his mind, but that was overpowered by self-hatred. 

He sat there with Hanji in silence until Erwin's parents got to the hospital about an hour later. They lived quite a train ride away, but they would do anything for their adopted son despite his sexuality. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were homophobic, a concept outlandish to Levi. They often tried to set Erwin up on dates with women and they refused to believe that there are more than two genders (even though Levi had secretly slipped them a significant amount of research on plenty of occasions). Given this, Hanji put up with being called by their first name and "feminine" pronouns. They even went so far as to act like a cisgender female when they were around. Levi was pissed about that situation. Hanji made him promise to refer to them as female and call them Zoe.

Kuchel had taught Levi about gender and sexuality before she passed away, so he always had an understanding and acceptance of those in the lgbt community. He could not believe that there were people like the Smith family who thought that anyone who wasn't straight or cisgender should burn in hell.

Erwin's parents sat down in the chairs opposite Levi and Hanji. Mrs. Smith was clutching the cross she always wore around her neck, praying for the safety of her adopted son. Mr. Smith had several children's story books under his arm, probably the same ones he had read Erwin whenever he got sick as a boy. Levi was jealous of Erwin at times. Erwin got adopted when he was six or so to help Mr. Smith on the family farm while his wife was seriously ill, but Levi was never adopted. He aged out of the foster system, he never got a taste of having a father or siblings. He had only felt a mother's touch, one he could hardly remember now. He hated it.

It seemed that everyone was reluctant to start a conversation. The Smiths didn't like either of them (especially when they remembered that Hanji and Levi were first and second emergency contacts) and the feeling was mutual. Their only saving grace was the nurse who came to talk to them.

"Levi, am I correct? I will need to ask you some questions later since you were the last to see him before the accident. And you two must be Mr. Smith's parents. I'm Gerald, Erwin's nurse for day shift." The nurse paused a moment to make sure the four of them were listening before he continued. "The procedure is having some slight complications, but the surgeon and her team are working hard to salvage as much as they can. There is a lot of damaged skin and crushed bone all over as with some that is still in tact, the problem is finding and saving as possible." 

Levi almost dared Mr. Smith to say something against a woman doctor, but it seemed that he was holding his tongue in favor of asking about the procedure instead. "Can't they just cut it off and sew it together?" 

The nurse explained that it wasn't that simple. Surgeons had to check skin temperature, pulse, check for any bone and skin that was still useable, remove any that wasn't, close arteries that needed to be closed, and decide whether or not to leave the wound open or closed depending on if there was tissue that needed removing later. Levi felt an overwhelming sense of dread. He was worried about possible problems in the future with Erwin's arm. He zoned out, couldn't hear the nurse talking, didn't feel when Hanji gently shook him in hopes of getting him to snap out of it.

After a few minutes of thinking of the worst case scenario, Levi finally came to his senses and allowed the nurse to lead him to a private room to ask him some questions about what happened. An investigator with chin length, sandy blonde hair was sitting in the room and immediately Levi knew that this was going to be an uncomfortable situation. 

He had known Hitch since he got his first apartment. She lived next to him, Isabel, and Farlan for about three years until they got enough money on their own to get better apartments in Stohess. The law student had developed a bit of a crush on the short, angry, musician next door. Of course, she didn't know that Levi was the Corporal of No Name, didn't even know that he made music, but she always encouraged him to go somewhere with his singing "hobby." 

After a while, she had decided to ask him on a date to which he refused. "You're a nice girl, Hitch, beautiful and talented, a great friend too, but nothing more than that. Besides, I'm more into guys than any other gender out there." 

Now, the reasonable side of Hitch told her to be sad, but accept the rejection. He wasn't interested in her, and that was his loss. However, the side that told her to get angry and lash out overpowered her usual reasonableness. She yelled at him for as long as it took for her to realize that Levi wasn't trying to fight back or defend himself like he usually would. He stood there and listened to her. It was out of character and he knew it, usually one to yell back and be ruthless, but he was tired. Tired of arguing with people over stupid things. So, he merely accepted her anger, allowed her to hug him and cry into his shoulder when the anger turned to sadness. 

He had known heartbreak well. When his mother passed away, every day he didn't get adopted, the day he realized that he would never have parents again, when his friends at the orphanage all got adopted one by one while he stayed with Isabel and Farlan, whenever his "brother and sister" didn't get adopted, when he saw the look on Hanji's face when they caught him about to kill himself, every subsequent time after that, the look on Erwin's face when he learned of Levi's suicidal tendencies. It was an awful feeling. He had never found someone he loved and gotten rejected by them, but he knew some types of heartbreak and how awful they felt. 

He sat down, trying to avoid eye contact with Hitch to no avail. He felt tension rise in the air, though not as potent as their first meeting after she confessed. She greeted him professionally inviting him to sit across from her for questioning. 

"Mister Ackerman," she began, coldly, as if she didn't spend a year pining over him, "What were you and Mister Smith doing prior to the accident?" He complied in recounting the events from meeting him at his truck to being dropped at his apartment. A few seconds after he finished, he mentioned that he had been awake until midnight cleaning before sleeping then was woken up by Hanji at four. Given that it was now seven-thirty in the morning, he felt that it was important to mention. "I see. After the blood test, the doctor found that he had a high level of alcohol in his system. Does he have a problem with drinking?"

As much as he wanted to deny his knowledge, Levi knew better than to lie. "He is a social drinker. If he drinks wine at a dinner party or restaurant and does not have a designated driver, he will go to a bar after he leaves the party and move to drinks with a higher alcohol content. I'm afraid I forgot about his habit while we were at dinner, and didn't tell him to refrain from ordering wine. It's my fault." 

It was the nurse that spoke then, in a comforting tone. "You're human. It isn't your fault for forgetting to make sure he didn't drink." Hitch nodded in agreement. Humans fail to remember things every now and then, so it was no big deal that he accidentally forgot. Still, Levi felt awful. He began to feel nauseous with the thought of Erwin never being able to play guitar again. Acoustic guitar was his favorite instrument, would be devastated when he learned that he couldn't play again. 

Excusing himself quickly to the bathroom, Levi splashed water on his face, scrubbed his hands until they turned red, tried cleaning the bathroom counter as best as he could to relieve the feelings coursing through his body. None of it helped. He took out his phone, deciding to text Hanji and have her bring him the tea he had bought from the hospital café. Hoping that the smell and the taste of green tea would help calm his nerves and reduce the chances of him vomiting , he waited for his friend to help him out. 

Not even a minute had passed and Hanji was by his side, the two of them sitting under the bathroom sinks in a hospital. Levi sipped his tea slowly, not wanting to upset his stomach more than the anxiety was. Hanji sat with their arm around him, slowly rubbing their thumb in circles on his shoulder in an attempt to ground him. Levi's panic attacks were absolute hell, not as bad as a suicidal episode, but still awful. They really hated seeing him in that state.

The two of them stayed there until Levi felt normal enough to answer more of Hitch's questions. This time Hanji joined him, just in case he felt another state of panic coming. Though he would never admit it, he appreciated that his friend and band member cared and worried about him. 

Once Hitch had asked all of the needed questions, Levi was properly dismissed, but not before telling the investigator that he wouldn't mind rekindling their friendship from years ago. Gerald escorted them back to the waiting room, taking a carbon copy of Levi's responses to the office workers.

The two musicians sat down again in their seats opposite to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, silent, hoping that Erwin would be okay. Levi got out his phone, deciding to open up Facebook, only to see three hundred posts about Erwin. Some were news articles, others were condolences from fans wishing him the best, several were made by people who had lost limbs to war or accidents. Those particularly caught his eye. 

"Frank Osbourne: I'm an amputee. I lost my left arm to a shark while I was surfing ten years ago. I had to learn how to get by with only my right arm. It was hard, but soon enough I was back on the board and leading a normal life. About a year ago, Erwin inspired me to start learning guitar but I wasn't sure how I'd do so without two arms. I found that I had two options: either learn to play with one hand and a chord clip, or get a badass prosthetic. After about three months of debating the pros and cons of either, I decided to get a prosthetic arm. I had to relearn everything about arms and how they work before I could finally start learning. I had my first lesson yesterday, and already I'm not doing bad. It deeply saddens me that Erwin lost his arm, but he will still be able to play guitar and write new music. All that we can do right now is support him as he recovers and urge him to take his time while he learns how to do things."

Levi knew that he had to do something to console Erwin's fans and give them hope. He may still have felt at fault, but the fans needed someone there for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am thirsty for comments, all mighty reader. Let me know what you think of my work and some things I could improve on. The only way that I can make this story have any quality is if you help me out.


	8. Ode to Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi plans some stuff, Erwin does a lot of sleeping, Eren goes shopping, and Mike's past gets developed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind that I switch from Levi to Eren to Levi to Mike in this chapter. I've really been struggling with how to go about this part of the story, so sorry for making you guys wait for so long.

"I am currently in the hospital with the Commander and Erwin's parents waiting for him to get out of operation. As a close friend, I am scared of something going wrong. As a coworker, I am faithful that he is in good hands and will be back to making music for you all soon. In these times of worry, I am happy to see all of you supporting him with messages, art, and fan videos. Thank you for sparing some time to offer your love and support to friends, family, and Erwin himself. I especially thank Ms. Osbourne for sharing her story and message. Tomorrow, in Maria Park from eight to eight, I personally will be hosting a meet up for those of you in the area who wish for me to bring Erwin any gifts you may have for him. I hope to see you there. ~the Corporal."

Attached to the Facebook post was a screenshot of Frank Osbourne's inspirational message. Levi may still have felt awful, but he felt as if he needed to do this. 

He wasn't worried about Erwin's fans not knowing who he was. No Name had gone to many events with Erwin, opened several shows for each other. They had even made a few songs together. Country and metal was an odd combination, but they made it work. "the Corporal" was known well through Erwin's fan base as his best friend, so it wouldn't be too much of a problem if someone thought that he was just a random person doing this for attention or money. 

\----------

Eren was grocery shopping when he found out. His dad wanted to spend some quality time with him and who was he to deny his father of his wish. After his mother passed away, Eren had become closer than ever to his father.

Grisha Jäger was a world renowned surgeon, he had never had a patient pass away under his care in twenty years of working at Shiganshina Medical Facilities. People wold come from across the country if the procedure that they needed was complicated. Doctor Jäger did his best to see every person, wanted to open a facility of his own when he got enough money. Due to his long hours in the operating room, he rarely had time to make the trip to Stohess to see his son and adopted daughter. 

Eren and Mikasa were busy as well. They spent most of their time either studying for college or writing songs for their fans. Not to mention Mikasa and her fiancé were planning a wedding. None of them had time to see each other, really, this would be the first time Eren saw his dad since he moved to Stohess. 

Looking forward to some guy time with his father, Eren had gone to the store for snacks, TV dinners, a bottle of cinnamon whiskey, and a new video game to play with his dad. He had everything but the booze, deciding on getting some game called Katamari. He had never heard of it, but it appeared to be the perfect level of challenging and cutesy, perfect for Grisha. 

Eren headed to the liquor store next door, looking for the aisle where they kept the Fireball, his dad's favorite. Finding it, he picked it up to inspect the bottle. That's when he got the text from Pixis.

(From Boss 10: 13 am): Hey Eren, Erwin got into a wreck last night and his arm needs to be amputated. Levi is holding an event tomorrow in Maria park if you want to show your support to fans or give your condolences to friends and family. 

Eren dropped the glass bottle as he read the text, shattering it. A pool of golden liquid and glass pooled around his feet. He may not have known Erwin as a person for long, but he still cared for the blond. He swore when he realized the bottle of whiskey broken at his feet. Turning to the worker rushing over to clean up, Eren told them that he would pay for more than just the bottle he dropped and one for drinking purposes. It was only fair since he caused the store to lose some money. 

(To Boss 10: 17 am): Will do. Thanks for letting me know.

\-----

Levi and Hanji spent the entire day and night in the hospital. Erwin had woken up on occasion after the surgery had finished, but always fell asleep after about a minute. The doctors decided to leave the wound open, waiting to see if there was any dying tissue that needed to be removed. Levi had to avert his eyes from Erwin's arm. It made him sick. He couldn't help but feel like he was solely responsible for this mess despite what everyone was telling him.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith had gone and rented a motel room close by. They would be visiting later when Erwin was able to hold consciousness for more than a brief period of time. 

Hanji had passed out on the couch in the room a while ago, though their lips were pursed and their eyebrows were knitted together. When they slept, they were usually peaceful, a light smile ghosting their lips unless they were having a panic attack. Their facial expression even while they slept was the biggest indicator of how scared they were of something going wrong.

At one point around three in the morning, Erwin had woken up for a good ten minutes. Levi, filled too much with worry to sleep, was right by his side, holding his one hand with both of his. The blond had amassed enough strength and raised his hand, Levi's still holding it loosely, to his lips. A weak, feather light kiss was pressed to the raven's interlaced fingers. This caused Levi to snap his gaze up from where it was .

"Hey, Erbrows." The shorter male tried to keep the appearance of strength by using the nickname, though his voice betrayed him. He sounded as if he was about to cry, honestly felt like it, too. He was terrified, mind wandering to a million places. What if Erwin had amnesia or was in unbearable pain? What if he didn't remember that he was one of the world's most famous country musicians? What would that mean for the fans? Would he even still want to be a musician? Did he remember him or Hanji? 

His voice was a bit rough from not talking for nearly twenty four hours and the breathing tube during surgery. Levi would have found it at least slightly attractive if not for the situation. "Levi, I love you." Well there went the notion of Erwin not knowing who he was. The rockstar felt his eyes go downcast again, knowing that the feelings of romantic and sexual attraction were not returned. He would always let Erwin express how he felt, as he allowed everyone. Levi wasn't one to be cryptic. He was blunt and straightforward, never expecting anyone to lie to him in turn.

Erwin and Levi had an agreement. Erwin would express that he loved Levi and Levi would nod quietly in recognition. So that is what he did. It was all that he could do. Erwin smiled weakly for reasons that Levi couldn't place or understand for that matter. The blond ran his thumb over the back of his friend's hand fondly. 

"I'm sorry this happened, Erwin." He paused, making sure that the blond was still awake though his eyes had closed. "I should have paid more attention to the wine and told you not to drink any. I'm sorry. This is all my fault." 

Erwin shook his head. "No it's not, Levi. This is my doing." This was met with a "you don't know what you're talking about" from a clearly distraught Ackerman. Levi didn't want to listen to reason. In his mind he was to blame, should be the one laying in a hospital bed with a missing limb. If he hadn't been stupid…

Erwin's hand went slack for a second and Levi was sure that his friend had passed back out until he felt himself get pulled to Erwin's chest. The arm wrapped itself around him, holding him close. Under any other circumstances he would have struggled or at least asked what the hell was going on, but this was different. Erwin needed this. He himself needed it too. Awkwardly standing with his torso draped over the blond, Levi placed one hand over Erwin's sternum. He stayed there, listening to his friend's heartbeat like it was the only thing that proved he was alive.

The taller fell asleep soon after. Levi wanted to take this as the cue to sit back down, but he continued listening to the steady thrumming of Erwin's heart. He wasn't sure how long it took him to reluctantly force himself from under Erwin's strong arm, but he managed to get back to the chair he was previously sitting in. 

He didn't get any sleep.

\--------

This didn't make sense. How was it talking fluently? They shouldn't talk at all. He was paralyzed out of fear. He prayed that his lover would know just how much he loved him. His last thoughts were filled by icey blue. There was a snap, a crunch, a gush of blood then silence. 

\-----------

Mike woke up in a cold sweat. Nightmares weren't common for him, but they were still hell. He checked his clock. It read 7:23AM. Figuring it was best if he just begin getting ready, Mike swung his legs off of his bed. He looked to the foot of the bed, finding Nanaba in her usual spot. 

That golden retriever puppy certainly was something. When Mike first got her, he just called her 'dog.' She reminded him of his childhood best friend with the same name. 

Before Mike found out about his parents true jobs and went off to the orphanage, he had made friends with a little girl from the poorest of the poor side of Trost. Her parents worked for his in order to raise enough money to fuel their drug addictions. They didn't even care that their daughter was dying of leukemia. He took it upon himself at nine years old to do whatever he could. His parents were rich, they could afford to pay for treatment. 

Too bad she was too far gone for treatment before he took initiative. The only thing he could do with the few months she was predicted to have left was to get her a service animal. Nanaba had named the therapy dog she got Titan. Titan was also a golden retriever, which killed Mike to think about now. Nine year old Mike was terrified of the day when he would wake up but she wouldn't. Even though she seemed like she was getting better every day without treatment, it was the only thing that Mike could think about.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years and Nanaba was still alive. Mike cursed the doctors for not giving her treatment because she "couldn't be saved." He had sat with her while she was writhing in pain, bleeding from her nose, bruising at the slightest touch for three years. He wasn't able to do anything but make sure that she was comfortable and that Titan was near by. 

Of course he was angry. That was his best friend. He watched Nanaba take her last breath. Heard her say her last words.

"You only lose when you stop fighting."

That sentence carried him through the next ten years. When he was sixteen, he ran away, but he knew that he would need a base of operations to check on his family and try to stop them when he could. He chose Trost Orphanage. At seventeen, he would go out on occasion and try to tamper with his dad's car. By twenty, he was actively stealing files from his parent's home. They were killed when he was twenty-two. Not by him, but by the police. The one time TPD was competent, it was to off two of the highest standing mafia bosses.

Naming Nanaba was an accident. He was going to just continue calling her 'dog,' but one day she came running up to him when he came home from the studio, jumping on him and licking his face when he sat down. That's when he said it. "Hey Nanaba, I missed you." 

He sat, mortified, when he realized what he said. Nanaba knew something was up. She took her muzzle and forced her way under one arm and cuddled up to him. He tried going back to Dog but she wouldn't respond to anything except Nanaba.

The puppy looked up at him from where she was at the foot of the bed, tail thumping quietly. He stood, patting his thigh as he walked to the door to his backyard. This was routine: wake up, let Nanaba out, make breakfast, feed Nanaba, shower, get dressed, let Nanaba out again, start warming up for drumming that day, let Nanaba out one last time, then leave for the studio.

Today was different. The band agreed that they wouldn't meet. Levi was holding a meet for Erwin's fans, Hanji would go make sure that Erwin's cats were fine, and Mike had said that he would keep an eye on Erwin. 

When he got to the hospital after dropping Nanaba off for Emotional Support Animal training he was greeted by a nurse. Levi must have told them that he was coming. He was led up several floors to Erwin's room where he was missing. The nurse told him that he was going in to another surgery in order to close the wound after any dead or dying tissue was removed.

He was given the option to watch TV but instead started reading a book that he had brought with him. It was the story of a teenager who had grown up underneath a dystopian city as a thug. He was caught my some people in the military and instead of throwing him in prison, they force him to join.

Mike quite fancied the character of the commander. He reminded him of Erwin in some ways, though Erwin would never sacrifice one hundred soldiers to save the lives of one hundred one civilians. However, both the character and his friend shared a common thirst for knowledge and a smart mouthed friend who was nearly a foot shorter that them. 

He had been doing quite a bit of thinking in the past several months regarding his feelings for Erwin, torn between admitting that the feelings were mutual and telling Erwin that he wasn't up for an immediate relationship. He was too busy and he wanted a chance for Nanaba to get used to Erwin's cats before the two decided to enter a relationship where they would be staying over at each other's homes.

Hours passed before Erwin was pushed back into his room. Mike stood in greeting to the nurses, noticing that his friend was passed out. The nurse told him what happened and that they had already called both Levi and Hanji to tell them about what was happening. The surgery went without complications and the wound should be healing soon. Mike sighed, relieved that Erwin was going to be fine aside from the stump of an arm that he couldn't look at . It was too painful. 

He sat down where Levi was sitting less than twelve hours ago, placed one hand on Erwin's, using his other hand to turn the pages of his book. Everything was silent for a while. Mike barely heard the "You're so handsome when you're focused, Mike." He offered a hum in response, turning from his book to his friend who chuckled softly to himself. "Who am I kidding, you're always handsome." 

"Erwin. I've been thinking."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone else crying over Episode 26? Because I am. That's why nothing bad is going to happen to Mike in this story besides his past. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Be sure to comment what you think or any criticism. And let me know if you thought the "Erwin wouldn't sacrifice one hundred soldiers" but was funny. I'm trying to prove a point to a friend.


End file.
